Strange Fruit is a song written by Abel Meeropol and reveals the horrors of Black American history.
The poem begins by describing the “strange fruit” hanging on the trees – in fact, these are not fruit but the bodies of lynched African Americans who have been left to rot. The scene is dark and the tone bitter; there is a sense of anger and disgust at the way that African Americans have been treated throughout their history.
This poem follows a AABB rhyme scheme and has a perfect rhyme scheme in play. Such a format adds a strong sense of order to the structure and the tone carries force. Yet, this sharply contrasts with the gory imagery shakes the reader to the core. There is a superficial beauty to the “Southern trees”, as they have been forever tainted by the actions of their white residents.
